Senator the Hon Robert Hill
Leader of
the Government in the Senate
Minister
for the Environment and Heritage
Ms Kaori Sunagawa
Chair of the Society Enjoying the Tidal Flat at Awase
×× Ozata, Okinawa, Okinawa
904-2163
JAPAN
-8
DEC 2000
Dear Ms Sunagawa
I refer to your letter dated 25 September 2000 regarding the reclamation
of the Awase Tidal Flat area and the conservation of shorebirds and other
marine habitats. I would appreciate it if you would convey my comments
to your co-signatories.
I share your concern for the future of shorebirds and shorebird habitat.
Under the Japan-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement, Australia participates
in biennial consultative meetings with Japanese officials to discuss the
implementation of the Agreement, and habitat conservation issues are
frequently discussed at those meetings.
Land planning and resource management issues in Japan are the responsibility
of the Japanese Govermnent. I will therefore raise your concerns with the
Hon Ms Yoriko Kawaguchi, the Japanese Minister of State and Director-General
of the Environment Agency.
The East Asian Australasian Shorebird Site Network is another joint Australia-Japan
initiative, aimed at extending the protection of shorebirds and their important
habitat and encouraging nomination of further sites for the Network. Australia,
Japan and a number of other Asia Pacific countries have reaffirmed their
commitment to international cooperative efforts for the conservation of
migratory waterbirds by supporting the new Asia Pacific Migratory Waterbird
Conservation Strategy 2001 -2005 which was endorsed in Okinawa at a workshop
on 16- 19 October 2000. I understand that Environment Australia officials
attended the workshop and spoke to their Japanese counterparts regarding
Awase.
You might consider approaching the Japanese National Government to nominate
the Awase tidal flats as a site on the East Asian Australasian Shorebird
Site Network. If you wish to obtain further details on the Shorebird Site
Network, you can contact:
Ms Kaori Matsui
Wetlands International - Japan
503 New - Aoyama Building, 1-4-6 Shibuya
Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo 150
JAPAN
Tel 5332 3362
Fax 35332 3364
Email ××.or.jp
I wish your organisations every success in their endeavours to promote the
conservation and wise use of wetlands and shorebirds in Japan.
yours sincerely
Robert Hill
Parliament House, Canberra,
ACT 2600
Telephone 02 6277 7640 Facsimile
02 6273 6101 |
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